Conrad Bangkok

Located in Bangkok’s Central Business District, the Conrad Hilton’s exterior may blend in effortlessly with the other skyscrapers which dominate the area but its interior, surely, sets it apart. If its height, its airiness and its bright ethereality make it cathedral-like, a paean to luxury travel and hospitality, it could also be a corner of the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall or even Berlin’s Berghain, albeit more angelic in tone and appearance.

Sculptures are scattered casually, an epic staircase swirls down from above, tall, bulky pillars add grandeur and dark marble tiles reflect the contrasting but minimal oatmeal furniture. Check-in is Western style and, completed at a long desk to the entrance’s left, which couldn’t be easier.  

My executive suite hovers on the 27th floor. A narrow corridor leads to the main room which is defined by its Kingsize bed on which a complimentary toy elephant made of silver and blue fabric greets with erect trunk. A work desk, a walk-in wardrobe, a TV, and a minibar all provide utility.

The bathroom is located opposite the bed and as well as a shower, a white marble bath stretches snugly from the nearest corner. Byredo from Sweden provides Mojave Ghost wash products which offer hints of sandalwood, cedarwood and chantilly for a composition inspired by the Sierra Nevadan dessert. 

One of the suite’s unique factors is its offering of pillows. Don’t like the regular one? No worries. How about a Non-Allergenic one? Or a Feather one? Three are made of various polyester consistencies but there’s also a buckwheat hull one, a fluffing duck down one and even a 100% rubber one. A menu informs what differentiates one pillow from the other but anti-bacterial, reduction of snoring, deep sleep, neck and shoulder muscle relaxation and the addition of no chemicals all contribute to defining factors.

The suite’s other unique element is its view; the 27th floor makes its positioning high but not stuck in the clouds. It offers an intriguing intimacy, therefore, and an engagement with the buildings nearby. The closest has a mirrored exterior and a rooftop garden with nothing but small strips of lawn which make it resemble a run-down sci-fi construct. Another looks like a squat version of the Empire State Building. A couple of penthouses have rooftop pools.

One has two yellow loungers which are never used. Bangkok is a building site and my favourite work in progress looks like a contemporary version of Bruegel’s Tower of Babel. With nine floors, every day hundreds of workers scurry around like ants, albeit wearing hi-vis vests. At night an electric energy takes over the skyscape and a motorway to the left provides a fluid, visual scarification whilst a building opposite beams out spotlights on a nightly basis, as if holding a non-stop Hollywood premiere.   

Residing in a suite on the Executive Floor facilitates access to the 29th floor Executive lounge which is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm. Whilst a variety of snacks and soft beverages are available throughout, breakfast (6 am-10.30 am), afternoon tea (2 pm-4 pm) and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres (5.30 pm-7.30 pm) are also served daily. 

The lounge is long, trim, tidy and smart with a mahogany colour scheme. If you suffer vertigo, best not to sit at a window side table. Bizarrely, the building opposite feels so close I want to stretch over and shake hands with the one man I see. Breakfast is a mixture of extensive buffet and cooked options which include Full English Breakfast, an omelette made to order and an à la carte menu.

The latter includes everything from Truffle Scrambled Eggs to various Thai recipes but I opt for Salmon and Eggs Benedict which is so edible I have it again the next day. The pre-mixed Muesli comes in a small glass but with a combination of coconut, raisins, oatmeal and a hint of cinnamon, is also perfect. My other favourite is the Desiccated Coconut Balls which are so moreish I have to take a cupful back to my room every day for further snacking. 

I miss afternoon tea, unfortunately, but the happy hour is very happy indeed! Should you be so inclined, it would be very easy to spend two hours imbibing the various cocktails on offer. The waiters and waitresses are super friendly and efficient and happy to oblige. I don’t do this but am, indeed, very happy after three whiskey sours. Likewise, the hors d’oeuvres function more as a proper meal and offer up everything from Fennel and Arugula salad to Potato Pierogi to Crispy Fried Shrimp; it’s a great spread and not to be missed lightly. 

That said, Conrad has two impressive restaurants in which to dine. Kisara is the more recently opened Japanese option and invites you to experience its art deco Sushi and Teppanyaki counters. Liu is the more established Cantonese option run by chef Andy Fung. Its large circular space is prettified not only by Chinese ornaments and art but hundreds of vertical black branches which are actually metal sculptures. The Chow-Liu tree is a Chinese willow and liu refers to the act of asking someone to stay when bidding farewell so conjures up notions of romance, love, melancholy and even love lost. We sit in a smaller circular room within the larger circular room, under what looks like a giant mushroom with a stalk still in its middle.

The menu is not like Chinese food in Europe but is way more challenging and exciting, depending on in which direction your epicurean tendencies swing. There’s enough chicken, duck and prawn dishes, though, to satisfy the less adventurous. My friend and I hedge our bets and swing both ways. We eschew the live seafood and miss the fantastically titled ‘Monks Jump Over The Great Wall’ but do opt for Jellyfish with Sesame Seeds.

With no real idea what to expect, my friend notes it’s not like the jellyfish he used to find on Margate Beach as a child. The dish is paradoxically familiar yet unfamiliar; slimy but chewy and, indeed, soft like jelly. Cut into rings the sensation reminds of eating raw squid but the jellyfish provides more texture whilst the sesame overrides with its nutty flavour.

Served at the same time, our Chicken Thigh is soaked in Chinese rice wine and also comes with spicy jellyfish salad. It’s a cold dish, is strangely refreshing and has a subtle zing to it. The Roasted Half Duck with Truffle Sauce comes with no pancakes or spring onions but is served under a plastic container which, when lifted, reveals a dramatic swirl of mist. It’s a feast of succulence and has a crispy black skin which has subtle undertones of charcoal.

Equally succulent but with crispy batter is the veritable mountain of Soft Shell Crab accompanied by thin, crunchy noodles. For dessert, the Ginger Soup with Black Sesame Dumplings is a completely alien concept. The soup is cold, more of a ginger tea or consommé, and the dumplings are similar to Japanese mochi in texture but deliver a flavourful punch. For a British palette, at least, it’s a unique way to end a unique meal.

The City Terrace is located on the seventh floor and offers a contemporary twist on casual wellness cuisine which comes as no surprise when discovering it looks over the Conrad’s pool. Next to the pool are also Tennis and Pickleball courts, a gym, a spa, a steam room and a sauna. The Terrace’s glowing neon cutouts of cheetahs and monkeys enhance the playful jungle atmosphere.

Three high-rise buildings tower over the water and palm trees and shrubbery border its periphery – a vegetative jungle atmosphere in the heart of an urban one. Emerald tiles make it glow a beguiling turquoise and hidden near the entrance is a warm whirlpool.

Ambient groove sounds make guests even more relaxed, if possible, and the pool staff charms with regular offerings such as non-alcoholic limoncello shots or scoops of melon to keep guests cool. Much like the rest of the Conrad Hilton experience, the pool is an oasis of pampering, relaxation and top-notch hospitality.

Conrad Bangok is included in our guide to the best hotels in Bangkok